Plant Health Scientist I - Petit Sa

Bayer; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 550,000 - 850,000; Full time

Job summary

Bayer’s Plant Health Scientist I role in Petit, SA focuses on executing high-quality disease phenotyping and inoculum production across lab, greenhouse, and field settings. You will translate observations into actionable insights for breeding and product advancement, while ensuring biosafety and protocol standards are met.

The role requires a PhD or MSc in Plant Pathology with at least 3 years of applied pathology experience, strong communication, and the ability to lead technical activities

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc in Plant Pathology or related discipline.
• Strong field pathology and inoculum production knowledge.
• Ability to interpret disease expression and link to breeding decisions.
• Experience leading technical activities and cross-functional influence.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Execute Plant Health field characterization across environments and ensure robust observations.
• Support inoculum production workflows with quality control and biosafety alignment.
• Provide diagnostic support including symptom assessment and pathogen identification.
• Co-design and standardize disease-screening protocols and tools.
• Build regional Plant Health capability through coaching and capacity building.
• Translate field pathology outputs into actionable insights for Breeding and commercial teams.
• Ensure lab/field staff training and compliance with Bayer ESH policies.
• Drive data quality, protocol governance, and operational efficiency.

Skills

Proactive learning

Independent work

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Education

PhD in Plant Pathology

MSc in Plant Pathology

Job description

At Bayer, we believe work should matter. Every day, our teams push toward a future where "Health for all, Hunger for none" is within reach, and every role, from the lab to the field to the boardroom, helps us get there. We give people the ownership to shape outcomes, the support to grow through new skills and experiences, and a global community where different perspectives are valued. If you want your work to count and the room to become your best, you'll find it here.

Plant Health Scientist I - Petit SA

Role purpose:

The Plant Health Scientist supports Breeding’s Plant Health strategy by executing high-quality disease phenotyping, diagnosis, inoculum production, inoculation, and rating across lab, greenhouse, and field environments. The role helps generate reliable pathology data, standardize screening practices, ensure safe operations, and translate disease observations into actionable insights that support breeding decisions and product advancement.

Key responsibilities and tasks:

This individual will be required to contribute in all aspects of Plant Health that include lab operations (disease diagnosis, and pathogen inoculum production) and field/farm operations (pathogen inoculation and rating). Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Execute Plant Health field characterization across target environments, ensuring robust disease observations, phenotyping quality, and interpretation of disease pressure relevant to breeding decisions.
• Support inoculum production workflows, including pathogen sourcing, multiplication, quality control, readiness planning, and alignment with biosafety, phytosanitary, and protocol standards.
• Provide technical support for disease diagnosis, including symptom assessment, sample evaluation, pathogen identification, differential diagnosis, and escalation of complex Plant Health cases requiring specialist pathology input.
• Co-design, implement, optimize, and standardize disease-screening protocols and tools to strengthen consistency, reproducibility, and decision value across regional testing networks.
• Build regional Plant Health capability by coaching field teams, improving disease assessment discipline, and embedding fit-for-purpose pathology practices across locations.
• Translate field pathology outputs into actionable technical insights for Breeding, Ag X, commercial, and regional stakeholders, enabling timely and evidence-based product decisions.
• Ensure all staff working in the lab or fields are properly trained and compliant with the Bayer ESH policies to ensure safe operations of the research program.
• Drive continuous improvement in data quality, protocol governance, diagnostic reliability, technical documentation, and operational efficiency.
• Regional travel is required.

Experience and qualifications:

• PhD, or M.Sc. in Plant Pathology or related discipline, with minimum 3 years applied pathology experience.
• Strong expertise in field pathology, plant disease characterization, inoculum production, disease diagnostics, and applied disease-screening programs.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret disease expression in field conditions, distinguish complex symptom patterns, and connect diagnostic outputs to practical breeding or product decisions.
• Hands‑on capability to produce, maintain, quality-check, and document pathogen inoculum under appropriate biosafety, phytosanitary, and protocol standards.
• Ability to lead technical activities independently, troubleshoot operational issues, make sound recommendations, and influence cross‑functional stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong communication, stakeholder‑management, and capability‑building skills across field, research, breeding, and commercial interfaces.

Skills and competencies:

• Proactive, independent and earger to learn.
• Flexible and and with an eye for innovation.
• Excellent organizational and record keeping skills.
• Detail oriented with the ability to balance multiple tasks and achieve deadlines.
• Proficient in English language.

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we want to ensure persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at [e-mail].

Location:

South Africa : Gauteng : Petit

Division:

Crop Science

Reference Code:

891348

Bayer welcomes applications from all individuals, regardless of race, national origin, gender, age, physical characteristics, social origin, disability, union membership, religion, family status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any unlawful criterion under applicable law. We are committed to treating all applicants fairly and avoiding discrimination.

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